The Wolverine

May 2013

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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that she has been her team's go-to No.  1 pitcher since her travel-team days. But she has seen the obvious benefits to sharing the load. "It was difficult at first, coming back after my injury," Wagner said. "But I know that, if Sara is starting a game, that I have to be ready, because I might have to come in at any time. Not starting a game, I am all right with that, because I know Sara can get the job done just as well. And I know that I have to be ready at any time. For me, it feels like I am starting every game, because I have to be ready no matter what. "She is one of my best friends on the team. I absolutely love her, and we get along great. I think that helps. We know each other really well outside the field, so if we get down, we know how to pick each other up. We know each other so well, and that definitely helps." Hutchins has been pleased with the way the two have worked together. "Our motto is, 'Do your part, and help us win,'" she said. "All of our kids, even though they have their own personal goals, they all understand that they're here to help Michigan win. She has responded pretty well, and roles change throughout the course of the season. We'll see where we go with it, but right now, her job is to just do her best when she gets the ball." Defense Must Improve Down The Stretch As of April 10, the Wolverines boasted a fielding percentage of .953, which ranked No. 11 in the Big Ten. "Defense is one of our big areas of focus," Wagner said. "We were kind of struggling early on, and there is always room for improvement there. That will come. We have really come together, and things are going well." With Michigan's offensive explosiveness and pitching dominance, Hutchins has clearly circled defensive play as the biggest area in which the team must improve if it wants to contend for a title. "We have got to play better defense," Hutchins said. "Our fielding percentage is not indicative of a typical Michigan softball team. We have made way too many errors, and those have been a catalyst for some of the big innings we have seen against us. The pitching is going to get tougher, and as offensive as we are, you win championships with defense. I can feel good about our team if we can settle in and be a better defensive team." Romero, still adjusting to playing shortstop at the collegiate level, has committed a team-high 19 errors, 12 more than anyone else. "As good as Romero has been, she has made more than her share of errors," Hutchins said. "Sometimes, she tries to do too much. You have to slow down and take care of the ball. We work to get outs, anywhere on the field, whether it's the lead out or not. I think we're headed in the right direction. In the last 10 or 12 games, we have been much better, but we're still working. There is a lot of season left." ❏

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